This week I only had time for one adventure, but I tried to make the most of the time I had. I finally went to Hamilton Pool this week, something that has been on my list for several weeks now.

Hamilton Pool is officially a nature preserve that’s about 40 minutes west of Austin. It’s a natural swimming hole that is beautiful and has some waterfalls into the pool. There is also a short trail along the river that the pool is sort of a part of. I spent an afternoon at the pool and exploring the trail, and it was definitely a beautiful place to be.

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Overall though, I thought Hamilton pool was a little overrated and overpriced. It’s $15 to go, and swimming is not even guaranteed because sometimes bacteria levels are too high. During the summer, the pool also requires advance registration because it is so popular. I went on a weekday during the school year, and it was still really crowded so I can’t even imagine trying to go when it’s busy. While swimming was allowed the day I went, I’m not a huge water person so I didn’t end up getting in. As for the trails, there is less than a mile of total trails in the preserve, and not much else in the park. The pool was definitely nice to look at, but I feel like even with the few other places I’ve been in the area, there are places that are just as pretty to swim or hike that are way cheaper (McKinney Falls and Colorado Bend both come to mind).

I’m not disappointed that I went to Hamilton pool, but I definitely do think it was a bit of a letdown for how hyped up it was for me.

Not every place will be as magical for every person, but the journey and finding out is half the fun of going.